Expected On Sale Date: June 13, 2023
Pages: 368
Marion Brooks is a 19 year old woman, living with her father Simon and elder sister Judy in Bronxville in 1956. Marion's mother Lucille passed away years ago, and since then, Marion and her sister are dealing with their strict and overcontrolling father Simon. Simon has the life of his daughters planned out for them. Judy works as a secretary in his power firm, for Marion he has planned for her to marry her college sweetheart Nathaniel and become a housewife after that. But that is just not what Marion wants, who is a ballet teacher for children at a local dance studio. So without anyone knowing, she hops on a train to New York City to audition to become a Rockette dancer at Radio City Music Hall. To her own surprise, she gets the job. But her new job as a Rockette doesn't fall well at home, and Simon gives her a choice, or quit her new job at the Rockettes and marry Nathaniel or to leave his home. She chooses to leave. She ends up at a boarding house where other Rockettes are also staying in the city, and starts the rehearsals. Later on, she convinces her sister to visit her in the city and see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular show, but on that day, when her sister is in the audience, a bomb explodes right next to her..
From then on, the book changes into a true mystery to find the Big Apple Bomber who was behind this bomb attack which killed her sister. With the help of a close friend from her roommate and friend Bunny, Peter, she goes on a thrilling search for the bomber, and find outs some answers linked to the bomber are closer to home then she expected.
I was very curious for this new book by Fiona Davis, as I loved her previous books.
As always with the books by Fiona Davis, the story is set around a famous and historical New York City landmark building. In previous books this where The Dakota building in The Address, The New York Public Library in The Lions of Fifth Avenue, The Chelsea Hotel in The Chelsea Girls, Grand Central Station in The Masterpiece and in her most recent book The Frick Mansion in The Magnolia Palace. In the book the author takes the reader to two historical buildings, Radio City Music Hall and the Rehearsal Club boarding house, which really existed and where Marion stays after she left home.
The story itself is, just like the title of the book, spectacular!! It starts with the family dynamics and Marion that is caught between it all, and then, which I totally didn't expect, the bomb explodes and it turns into a true crime solving mystery-type of story, which was a true page turning surprise, and a lovely little side romance as a side part between Marion and Peter. The story is beautiful and tragic at the same time, and as always, Fiona Davis is a true expert on New York City and did magnificent research on the iconic New York buildings history and the time period the story is set in. I absolutely fell in love with this story and I think this is another masterpiece of a book by Fiona Davis, which during the years has become one of my favorite authors. I think this one of the best books that comes out this year and I truly recommend reading it!!
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